MINOR HOME REPAIRS RESULT IN MAJOR LIFE IMPROVEMENT

Work benefits older adults who can’t do it themselves

There’s a bit of immediate success in making minor repairs for people that Stan Mayer enjoys, which is part of what drew him to volunteer for Jewish Family Service of San Diego. When he first called to inquire about volunteering more than four years ago, he had to do a little explaining.

“I called in and they said, ‘What is it you need fixed?’ And I said, ‘Nothing.’ And they said, ‘Why are you calling?’ And I said, ‘I have a skill set that may be useful for you guys,’ ” Mayer, 73, recalled with a chuckle. “And thus it began.”

Mayer, a retired mechanical engineer who ran his own business in Pennsylvania before coming to San Diego, estimates that he spends between 10 to 15 hours each week working on projects for JFS Fix-It Service. The program trains volunteers to provide additional assistance to older adults and their caregivers through minor home safety repairs and modifications, according to the program’s website. Volunteers provide a safety inspection of each client’s home before making any repairs, which can include installing wireless doorbells, mounting handrails, repairing window screens, installing handheld showers, or smoke or carbon monoxide detectors.

He’s done repair work all over the county — including in Chula Vista, National City, and Imperial Beach — and each job is different. The tasks can range from changing light bulbs to tracking down electrical problems or resolving plumbing issues.

“It sort of sounds silly to change somebody’s light bulb, but if you’re 85 and your kitchen fluorescent fixture goes out, what are your options?” he said. “You can call a fix-it guy who will charge you a lot of money and you’re letting strangers into your house, or you can call an organization like ours.”

In the time that he’s been volunteering with JFS Fix-It, he’s seen the need for the service grow considerably, he said, and he believes the organization would be able to do even more to help others with more financial donations. In the meantime, it feels good providing a service to others.

“This work, particularly, gives you instant gratification,” he said. “If you go into somebody’s house and you install grab bars and smoke detectors, and you leave, you know immediately they’re better off than they were before you got there.”

To make a donation to the JFS Fix-It Service, call (858) 637-3057 or visit
jfssd.org.

Do you know of a student who should be in the spotlight? Contact Lisa Deaderick at (619) 293-2503, or lisa.deaderick@utsandiego.com